Signal apparatus.



BORLAND.

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

AyiLmATloN FILM mi. wg.

l 91 08,86@ Patented Aug. 25, 1914.

SAMUEL BORLAND, OF WELLSTON, OHIO. i

SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Anf". 25., Mille.

Application filed September 30, 1912. Serial No. 723.044.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL BORLAND, a citizen of the United States, `residingat lVellston, in the county of Jackson and State ofOhio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Signal Apparatus, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to railway signal ap` paratusand particularly toa signal lantern embodying carriers for onel or more fusccs or flare torches, a container for torpedoes or detonators and-areceptacle for matches.

' lt is the'practice in railway operations,

when a train is stopped at a point other than a regular station stop, to protect the train by sendingv a l'lagman or signal man a considerable distance vover the track to the rear of the train whose` business it is to stop any train which-may be following. Toenab'le the signal man to signal an approaching train he is provided with a lantern and in addition' thereto with-one or more fusees or flare torches and alsowith torpedoes or detonatorsadapted to be secu-redto the track to provideaan auditory signal in the event that the visual signals are overlooked. It

is customary to carry the lantern, the fusees.

andrtorpedoes separately7 the latter being usually.carried in the signalmans pocket. ln the excitement of leaving thetrain, particularly in the event of la wreck, one or more of these form of signal devices may be overlooked or forgotten. The fusees as usually constructed are provided with a friction head whereby theymay be ignited. by rubbing -on.a` friction surface to be found upon the. cap or cover normally inclosing the friction head. It sometimes happens, however; particularly if the. fuscc has become damp that it will notignite by fric-tional. contactwith the. cap ,butvit is" necessary that it be lighted vwith a match. Likewisevin.

stormy weather the -signal mans lantern ,is likely to be accidentally extinguished. lf in such emergency, he finds himself-without a supply of matches or that his match snpply carried in Vhis` pocket is wet and there- "fore useless he. may 4be unable to use his signal devices to preventcollision.

The object ofthe present invention is to provide av suitable carrier for the` several portions of signal devices which will be sim.-`

ple and cheap in construction. in whichithe. several forms of devices, together with a snpply of matches-may be ,stored .whereby lnone of the forms of signal devices will be read ily overlooked or lost and in which each one will-be readily and quickly accessible and which will be` unlikely to get out of repair.

lVith the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention con'- sists of the features of construction, the

parts and combinations thereof and the model of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. l

Referring to the drawings. Figure l is a perspective view of the assembled appara* tus forming the subject matter hereof. F

is a detail `vertical sectional view ofy thc base of the device disclosing the receptacle for the torpedoes or detoinitors. l? il a detail sectional plan view .of thc base of the device. Fig. lis a detail plan view ofone of the. .fusee clasps.

'Like parts are indicated. by similar characters of reference througlmut the several views.

In the drawings. l is a lantern of ordinary construction and of the type usually employed in railway operations. A s is usual in this type of lantern the glass globe 2 is surrounded with 'a protective wire cage 3.

The fusees or flaretorches comprise cylindrical bodies or shafts 4 terminating at one end in a spike 5 and provided at their opposite extremity with a closing 'cap or cover 6. These fusees are arranged in up right spaced relation about the exterior of the cage Clasps or loops 7 are provided upon the cage 3 and adapted to encircle the tion, while the spike 5 thereof engages a suitable socket S projecting upward from the base of the lantern. substantially U shaped in form and may be attached to the cage 3 -at both extremities. They are, however. preferably.formed from resilient orspring material and attached only at one extremity leaving their other 'ill The clasps 7 are i shaft 4 of the fusees to maintain it in posiv extremity free whereby the clasps may be flexed voutward to accommodate fusees of cgi-eater diameter.

The socket may be of any desired form to receive the spike 5 but preferably coinpriscs a plate of sheet metal secured in upright position to the base of the lantern and haying a perforated head bent inward to a general plane of the plate. Y The spikes 5 of 110 position substantially at right angles to the 'v ci" the clasp T about the shaft of the fusees the iiusees are adapted. to project through the perforated heads of the socketmembers 8 upon the inner side ofthe plate portion vof the socket whereby the sharpened points ol the spikes will be protected against injury and by which they will be protected against entanglement iii the clothing of the signal man or other fabrics or objects in their vicinity. By the engagement ot the spikes in the socliet 8 and the engagement the fusees are securely held in place while at the same time they may be readily disengaged by withdrawing them upward through the clasps or loops 7.

To providefor carrying the torpedoes orl detonators there is provided about the 'base or pedestal of the lantern an annular con tainer 9 of tiuncated conical form. This container 9 is cut away for a limited space is indicated between the point 10-10 in F ig. 3 to permit access to the interior therei of for the insertion and removal of the adapted to engage one of the brace wires12' 'as shown in Fig. 1 to lock the oscillatory receptacle 9 in its adjusted or closed position with the opening 10-10 Ain registry with the shield or cover plate 13. By releasing the catch 11 from the base wire 12 the torpedo receptacle mayy be'rotated to bring the opening 10-10 beneaththe shield or cover plate 13.

Located within the oscillatory receptacle orcontainer 9 is a. revoluble vcarrier 14 proy vided withY alurality of partitions 15 dividing the carrier into a series of compartments, each adapted to contain a single torfpedo. The carrier 14 is capable of rotary movement within the container 9 whereby each of the |`compartments formed by the partition 15 may be brought in succession into registry with the opening 10-10 of the container 9. ABy lfirst oscillating the container 9 to shift its open section 10-10 from beneath. the shield or cover plate 13 and thereafter rotating the carrier 14 within the container the torpedo or detonator may be removed from any' one of the compartmentsI in the carrier.

Located at one side of the lantern body occupying an inclined position above the receptacle 9 is a tubular receptacle 16 having -not` interfere with the a removable cap or cover 17 adapted to contain a supply of matches. j

The fusees being arranged in spaced'relation about the cage of the lanternv do not interfere with the projection of light in any direction as there is always suiiicicnt space between adjacent fusees. l The torpedoes or vzdetenators being located within the cont'a'ii'ier or receptacle 9 below the level of the f lame oit' vthe lantern and each vlocated in a separate compartment are protected against dampness and may be safely carried without danger of accidental explosion. When carried in the pockets of'signal men as is theusua'l custom there is always-grave danger o'" an accidental explosion, through the ,ac-

cidental striking of the signal mans pocket in climbing` on or oil the train or through any shock or jolt, which would result in serious injury to the signal man.

By the use of-the carrier herein described-1A l. not only is al1 danger to the operator obl. g.

viated but also the -danger of the'perator overlooking or forgetting any one .of the forms oi' signal devices which are contained in the carrier in position .wherein they will be safe from loss or injury while at all times readily accessible, and wherein they will usual use .of the lantern:

From the above description it will be apparent k,that there is thus produced a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable but which obvi' ously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved `or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention' has been herein describedin z Vlanguagemore or less specific as to vcertainl structural features, 1t is to be understoody that the invention isl not limited to any speciic details but that the means and mechanisml herein shown and described.'

comprise but one mode of putting the invention into effect and theinvention is therefore claimed broadly in any of its possible forms oi modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

claim; 4 A.

1. In a lantern,y an annular rotatable chamber surrounding the pedestal' of the lantern and having an accessL opening therein, a rotatable tray located within the chamber and concentric therewith, and a' fixed closure shield for the access opening withji which the rotatable chamber cper-- ates.

2. In a lantern, an" annular chamber surrounding-the pedestal of the lantern and having an4 access opening therein, a; rotatable Having thus described my invention, I 4

iso

tray contained within the annular chamber adapted by its rotation to present successive portions of the tray at the access open ing and a closure shield for said opening.

3; ln a lantern, an annular rotatable chamber concentric with the base plate of the lantern, and having an access opening therein, a tray located Within the chamber and concentric therewith, and a fixed shield with which the rotatable chamber coperrates to close the access opening.

f chamber and shield being concentrically adjustable in relation one with the other.

6. In a lantern,.an annular chamber surrounding the pedestal of the lantern and having an access opening therein and a shield for said access opening, the chamber and shield bein@r relatively adjustable concentrically in relation one with the other.

7. In a lantern as described, a chamber concentric with the base thereof and pro-A vided with an access opening, an independently` revolubl'e tray located .Within the an independent chamber adapted by its rotation to successively present successive portions of the tray at the access opening of the chamber and a closure shield cooperating with the chamber to close the access opening.

ln a lantern as described, an annular chamber concentric with the base of the lantern, and havin an access opening therein,

ly rotatable tray contained within the chamber and adapted by its rotation to successively present different-portions of they tray at the access opening of the chamber.

9. In a lantern as described, an annular chamber concentric with the base of the lantern, and having an access opening, a tray concentrically located Within the chamber, the tray and chamber being rotatable Whereby successive portions of the tray Will be presented chamber.

10. In a lantern having a hollow base, having an access opening thereinto, a revoluble tray located Within the base chamber of the lantern and partitions dividing the tray into a plurality of compartments, said compartments being adapted to be successively presented at the access opening of the base chamber by the revoluble adjustment of the tray.

n testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19 day of September 1912.

SAMUEL BORLAND.

Witnesses:

HARY F. NoLAN, Errni B. LUTTRINGER.

@epics ci this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Wishinton, D. C."

at the access opening of the 

